1998 Toyota Sienna

I HAVE A 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE PASSENGER-SIDE SIDING DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF IN MY HAND! THIS IS OUR FAMILY CAR AND WE TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT. THE HANDLES HAVE NOT BEEN JERKED OR OTHERWISE ROUGHLY TREATED. NOW, UNTIL WE CAN GET THIS DEFECT REPAIRED, THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE. I AM UPSET BECAUSE THIS APPEARS TO BE COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL.*JB

REAR SLIDING DOORS ON BOTH SIDES OF VAN AT TIMES CANNOT BE UNLOCKED AND/OR OPENED FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. SOMETIMES CANNOT CLOSE AND LATCH THE SLIDING DOOR. THIS ALL HAPPENS WHEN THE INSIDE PUSH BUTTON DOOR RELEASE BECOMES STUCK IN THE DEPRESSED POSITION IN THE DOOR HANDLE. OCCURRED FIRST ON PASSENGER SIDE IN COLD WEATHER (JAN 2000). DEALER FOLLOWED MFG'S TSB TO HELP REDUCE PROBLEM. BUT NOW (JULY 2005, HOT WEATHER) DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR HAS SAME PROBLEM.

MY 98 TOYOTA SIENNA FAILED TO RESPOND TO THE ACELERATOR WHILE I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN TWICE ON 6/22/05. ON THE SECOND TIME, THE ENGINE FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE, AND GO BACK HOME THREE BLOCKS AWAY WHERE THIS HAPPENED. I PARKED MY CAR INSIDE MY GARAGE, WENT INSIDE MY HOUSE AND LUCKILY I HAD TO GO BACK TO THE GARAGE IMMEDIATELY, BECAUSE MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I AM STILL WAITING FOR MY NSURANCE COMPANY TO DO THEIR INVESTIGATION AND I OPENED A CLAIM WITH TOYOTA, SINCE I DID ALL THE NECESSARY MAINTENANCE AND THE CAR WAS FINE UNTIL THAT DAY. HOW CAN I BE SURE I AM GOING TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH WHY THE CAR GOT ON FIRE AND IF THERE IS ANY PROBLEM RELATED TO THE YEAR AND MODEL OF MY CAR THAT MAY EXPALIN WHAT HAPPENED? SOMETIME AGO I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA SAYING THAT THEY WERE EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON TRANSAXLE CASE AND INTERNAL PART, TORQUE CONVERTER AND PARTS RELATED TO THE TRANSAXLE BECAUSE CERTAIN MODELS OF SIENNA HAD A "NO MOVEMEN" OR "SLIPPING CONDITION" RELATED TO THAT PARTS. MY CAR WAS FINE UNTIL THE MORNING OF 6/22/05 AND THEN DID NOT RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR TWICE (IS THIS WHAT THEY CALL NO MOVEMENT OR SLIPPING CONDITION?) AND THEN GOT ON FIRE. DOES THE FIRE COULD HAPPEN BECAUSE O ANYTHING RELATED TO THE TRANSAXLE CASE AND INTERNAL PARTS ANY OTHER PARTS RELATED TO IT? I AM AFRAID, SINCE I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS ANYTHING TO LOOSE , THAT TOYOTA WON'T TAKE RESPOSIBILITY FOR THIS AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY ALREADY ADVISED ME THAT THEY DO NOT COVER THE CAUSE OF FIRE ONLY DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE FIRE, THEY DO NOT COVER RENTAL CARE WHILE MY CAR IS INCVESTIGATED AND I DON'T FEEL THAT THEY ARE IN ANY HURRY TO DO SOLVE MY PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO GET AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS NO INTEREST IN THE CASE, WHO IS NOT THE ONE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OR NOT, OR WHO IS NOT THE ONE IN CHARGE TO COVER THE EXPENSES RELATED TO WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SINCE OUR PURCHASE OF OUR 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN WE HAVE EXPERIENCED SPARATIC PROBLEMS WITH BOTH SLIDER DOORS OF THE VAN. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO SEVERAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS WHERE THEY TELL ME THAT THE RUBBER STRIPPING HAS TO REMAIN CLEAN. I FOLLOWED THEIR SUGGESTION AND TO THIS DAY IT IS STILL HAPPENING. THIS POSES A PROBLEM WHEN BOTH DOORS WILL NOT OPEN AND EVERYONE HAS TO CLIMB THROUGH THE FRONT DOORS.*AK

WE WERE IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT RECENTLY AND HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT NEEDING TO REPLACE THE SEAT BELTS AND POSSIBLY QUESTION OF MALFUNCTION OF AIRBAGS. OUR TOYOTA SIENNA VAN WAS GOING ABOUT 35 MPH AND HIT STRAIGHT-ON A CAR THAT TURNED IN FRONT OF US HITTING THE DRIVER SIDE WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WITH ESSENTIALLY NO BRAKING. ESSENTIALLY THE TOYOTA SUSTAINED A FRONT IMPACT COLLISION. THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AND OUR REPAIR MECHANIC IS TELLING US THIS IMPACT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO DEPLOY AIRBAGS. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER OF THE TOYOTA SUSTAINED CHEST INJURIES, KNEE INJURIES, WITH GENERALIZED PAIN, ESPECIALLY NECK, SHOULDERS, AND BACK. WE THINK THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING AND THE SEAT BELTS INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT SHOULD BE REPLACED. OUR AUTO MECHANIC IS TELLING US THAT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT IMPACT, AND THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED. CAN YOU HELP US HOW WE GET THE CORRECT ANSWERS? SCOTT S. LEE 949-295-0438 CELL 949-598-3302 WORK SCOTTSLEE@COX.NET. *JB